inulin

American  

[in-yuh-lin] / ˈɪn yə lɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a polysaccharide, (C 6 H 10 O5 ) n , obtained from the roots of certain plants, especially elecampane, dahlia, and Jerusalem artichoke, that undergoes hydrolysis to the dextrorotatory form of fructose: used chiefly as an ingredient in diabetic bread, in processed foods to increase their fiber content, and as a reagent in diagnosing kidney function.

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inulin British  

/ ˈɪnjʊlɪn /

noun

1. a fructose polysaccharide present in the tubers and rhizomes of some plants. Formula: (C 6 H 10 O 5 ) n

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Etymology

Origin of inulin

1805–15; < New Latin Inul ( a ) a genus of plants ( Latin: elecampane) + -in ²

Example Sentences

"Think of it like a continuous glucose monitor, but for intestinal gas," Hall said, explaining that the device detected increased hydrogen production after participants consumed inulin, a prebiotic fiber.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

Poppi’s drinks contain apple cider vinegar, fruit juice and agave inulin, a prebiotic and natural sweetener extracted from the agave tequilana plant.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2024

Cobbs cited research showing that consuming 7.5 grams of agave inulin daily for three weeks was insufficient to confer any meaningful prebiotic benefit.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2024

The food science writer Harold McGee says that, like onions, shallots contain the fructose polymer inulin, a polysaccharide that breaks down into multiple simple sugars when heated, increasing the overall sweetness.

From New York Times • May 23, 2022

Mannan bears the same relation to mannose that starch does to glucose and inulin to fructose.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred